Bryan Cooper looks forward to pick of Gigginstown House Stud for Cheltenham Gold Cup

Bryan Cooper is one of the top jockeys in national hunt racing. As a retained rider for Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Stud, he has a very strong book of rides at next week’s Cheltenham Festival. 

He has to decide which of his employer’s horses he will ride in the most prestigious race of the jumps calendar, the Gold Cup. Don Cossack, trained by Gordon Elliott, and Don Poli, trained by Willie Mullins, are two of the favourites for the race

Q. Horse racing has a lot of followers who wouldn’t actually understand race-riding. While a certain amount of it is innate, there is much that can be learned too. Explain what is required to be a jockey?